Unable To Escape (10 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 14
Eregorn’s spring swapped places with winter in the blink of an eye.
The week-long snowfall, which had piled up relentlessly, vanished instantly as it melted away—this was the true beginning of spring.
Over the ages, countless tales had been spun about this starkly abrupt transformation, yet no one had ever discovered its exact cause.
“What on earth is going on?”
The furious blizzard that had raged just yesterday had ceased, replaced by the warm sun of spring rising in the sky.
Alicia, who had been staring blankly at the landscape outside her window—completely transformed in just a single day—turned her gaze downward to the letter in her hand.
It was a letter personally written and sent by Killian.
Alongside a bouquet crafted from paper, she had received this letter, which she had reread so many times that its edges were slightly worn; inside, Killian’s handwriting—stiff and firm, much like his character—filled the page.
“A new demon beast has been discovered, causing complications. It would be wise to return to the safety of the capital…”
Reading aloud a segment of the brief letter, Alicia tilted her head in confusion.
At first, when she’d received it, she’d foolishly wondered, “Could he possibly be worried about me?”
Fortunately, she’d quickly opened the letter and checked its contents, preventing herself from blurting out such an absurd misunderstanding—but reading it only led to an even bigger problem.
“A new demon beast? The ‘safe’ capital? Demon beasts can’t cross the northern border, so how can he speak of ‘safety’ here?”
Though she chided herself as foolish, she wasn’t so dim-witted as to fail to grasp the hidden meaning in such a short letter.
‘He’s saying a new demon beast might appear even here, beyond the fortress.’
No demon beast had ever breached Grimpool Fortress, guarded by Diaz’s Wolves and soldiers.
After all, wasn’t that precisely why Grimpool was called the Fortress of Sorrow?
One side of its walls was engraved with the screams, agony, and tears of countless demon beasts whose lives it had claimed.
She’d never heard any news of that impregnable fortress falling—yet now they were being told to return to the “safe” capital…
Alicia’s expression darkened at the implication: human lands were no longer safe from demon beasts.
‘And a new demon beast, at that… I’ve never once heard of this before my return.’
No matter how strictly information about demon beasts was classified, news of this magnitude would inevitably leak out somehow.
Moreover, in her previous life, Alicia had been the Emperor.
Even the most incompetent emperor would not have remained unaware of the emergence of a new demon beast.
‘Could this be connected to my return to the past?’
The present differed from the past.
Because Alicia had made different choices, this second life unfolded differently from before.
But what if her altered self had inadvertently triggered other problems?
She had merely corrected one mistake from the past.
Though that change might allow Killian to show her a different side of himself, it surely couldn’t have influenced the appearance of an entirely new demon beast.
Thus, it was far more likely that the “method” or “reason” behind her return to the past had caused this ripple.
“Why didn’t I think to investigate this sooner…?”
Excusing herself by saying she’d been too overjoyed about her second chance to consider anything else was just a poor excuse.
Her real mistake had been deliberately avoiding all issues related to Killian, simply to keep herself from thinking about him.
She’d sworn not to make mistakes again, yet here she was, creating another one with this ridiculous excuse.
“Pull yourself together. You can’t afford another mistake—not the old ones, and certainly not any new ones.”
This second life was for Eregorn.
For the family she loved.
That’s how she’d decided to use it.
Therefore…
“It shouldn’t be a problem to go back together.”
At the end of Killian’s short letter, he’d added a line suggesting they return to the capital “together” once winter ended.
Even from the letter’s opening and closing lines alone, she could discern its underlying intent.
Now that this place had become dangerous too, he meant for them to travel back together for her safety.
After all, in all of Eregorn, no one matched Killian’s prowess in dealing with demon beasts—so traveling together would benefit not only each other but the Empire as well, especially for the “Princess’s” safety.
Yet, foolish as she was, she’d briefly deluded herself into thinking that perhaps Killian genuinely wanted to journey with her.
Even the paper flowers cheerfully adorning the low side table beside the window were proof enough of that.
What kind of expectations had she even harbored, seeing those flowers sent as a get-well gift simply because a mere letter felt insufficient?
When she’d thanked him for the flowers during their shared dinner after her recovery, Killian had bluntly replied with an indifferent expression that they were just a replacement for the real flowers he’d frozen to death.
It was already his umpteenth apology for destroying the greenhouse.
“I keep receiving apologies.”
Impatience invites mistakes, and mistakes invite apologies.
Alicia was the one born of the Empire’s noblest bloodline yet forever fretting, unable to win the heart of the one she loved.
Thus, it was always Alicia who apologized, and always Killian who received those apologies.
Yet strangely enough, since their reunion, it was Killian who kept apologizing to her.
“Everything’s so strange—the demon beasts, Killian… and me, thinking about Killian again in this situation, am beyond strange; I’m downright hopeless…”
Alicia let out an unconscious sigh and turned her gaze toward the noisy doorway.
The commotion came from servants bustling about, preparing for an earlier-than-planned return.
It took roughly four days for the roads—melted into muddy slush by the thawing snow—to return to their original state.
Though the capital’s roads were well-maintained and passable for carriages, the path from Lasa Castle to the capital was merely a packed dirt road, so they had to use those four days wisely to make thorough preparations.
Even Amy, who had cautiously objected at first—suggesting it might be better to stay until summer—was now frantically busy with the return preparations, not even pausing for breath.
“Your Highness, why are you just standing there like that?”
“I was looking outside because I felt stifled.”
“The snow’s melted a lot, hasn’t it?”
Despite the flurry of departure preparations, Mina—ever conscientious about Alicia’s meals and snacks—entered the room carrying a tray heavily laden with food.
“Today’s tea treat is madeleines.”
Setting the tray on the table in the center of the room, Mina swiftly arranged everything and stepped back a pace.
Alicia sat before the table, where warm black tea and golden-baked madeleines were neatly placed, and offered a grateful smile with slightly crinkled eyes.
“You must be awfully busy, aren’t you?”
“Maybe because we packed in such a rush and didn’t bring much luggage, it’s actually not too hectic. Don’t worry!”
Even packed hastily, it was still the Princess’s luggage.
Having come fully prepared to stay an entire season, they surely brought quite a lot despite the haste.
Worried Alicia might feel guilty, Mina quickly dismissed it as nothing, then pushed the plate of madeleines slightly closer to Alicia with a bright smile.
“Um…”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“Lord Diaz and his party…?”
“Oh! They finished their departure preparations ages ago. It’s almost as if they never even unpacked… In fact, they mentioned they had something to leave behind.”
That was probably the cart used to transport the demon beast.
Recalling the demon beast she’d encountered in the greenhouse, Alicia’s fingertips trembled slightly.
Just remembering it left such a deep sense of dread…
‘If that’s the new demon beast… what did the original ones look like?’
Since this was her first time seeing a demon beast, Alicia had no way of knowing the differences between the old and new kinds, so she tilted her head in confusion.
“That’s why Diaz’s Wolves are helping us now.”
“…Huh?”
Alicia, who had been lost in thoughts about the demon beast, looked up at Mina.
Who was helping whom?
“They said they couldn’t just stand around doing nothing—it didn’t suit their temperament. They claimed helping pack would be a good way to move their bodies and stay active.”
“…”
“You’re surprised too, Your Highness? Everyone was. It’s not like they’re ordinary people—it’s Diaz’s Wolves, volunteering to help someone other than themselves!”
“R-Really?”
Badulf’s squad members were loyal only to Killian and acted solely for his sake.
If they couldn’t stand idle, they’d rather train their stamina or challenge each other to contests—never would they assist others.
So why now?
Having noticed yet another anomaly compared to the timeline before her return, Alicia furrowed her delicate brows.
“I suppose they’re just eager to leave Lasa Castle as quickly as possible.”
“Helping out just because they want to leave quickly…”
If that were the reason, she could sort of understand… or could she? Actually, no, that didn’t make sense.
Setting down her teacup, Alicia rubbed her furrowed brow with her fingertips, lost in thought.
‘Could this possibly be his way of apologizing too?’
Diaz’s Wolves would never have made such a decision on their own.
They must be acting on Killian’s orders—but she couldn’t think of any good reason why he’d issue such an instruction.
The only thing that came to mind was the string of “apologies” that had continued ever since the greenhouse incident…
It was strange enough that Killian was apologizing to her at all, but repeatedly apologizing for the same matter was truly unlike him.
“Your Highness, does your head hurt? Should I prepare some medicine?”
“No, I’m just thinking about something. I’m fine physically—don’t worry.”
Seeing Alicia’s knitted expression as she tried to untangle her jumbled thoughts, Mina grew flustered.
If she wanted to take over Amy’s position someday, she’d need to act a bit more calmly.
Thinking of Amy, who kept sighing more and more whenever she looked at the successor Alicia had chosen, Alicia leaned back against the chair, closed her eyes, and let out a long, weary sigh to clear her mind.
‘Let’s just go back first… I’ll think about it once we’re back.’
For now, she’d empty her mind and worry about nothing.
So decided Alicia, postponing all further deliberation.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
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To me … She’s being annoying😒😒😒 she yap too much eheeh
The Audacity of that bitch!!! 😡😡 Glad the princess kept her in her place
Alicia is very unlucky. Of all the servants, she found only Killian’s spy.